Spring forming apparatus



y 15, 1952 K. F. SEMISCH ETAL 2,603,247

' SPRING FORMING APPARATUS Filed May 23, 1951 Patented July 15, 1952 -Z If I-UNITED STATES SPRING FORMING APPARATUS Kurt F. Semisch, Holyoke, and Adelard J.-Bclisle; 1

South Hadley Falls, Mass.

Application May 23, 1951 Serial N6. 2271772 paratus for forming spring and is directed more particularly to apparatus for forming springs for use in furniture manufacture.

The 'princip'al'objects of the invention are directed to apparatus for forming springs which are adapted for supporting upholstery in furniture construction such as chairs, sofas and the like. According to novel features of the invention, the apparatus forms an elongated spring having longitudinally spaced loops with the spring being curved longitudinally.

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of spring forming apparatus embodying the novel features of the invention{ 7 Fig. 2 is a plan View of the apparatus shown in ..Fig.:3 is a partial vertical sectional view through the forming drum of the apparatus of Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the spring formed by the apparatus and having a portion of the drum thereof in developed relation; and v Fig. 5 is a plan view of a portion of a spring formed by the apparatus.

A frame 2 is provided which has a base 4 and transversely spaced side walls 6.

A shaft 8 is fixed in the walls 6 in some suitable manner and has a cam I0 fixed thereto and on which a forming drum I2 is rotatable in clockwise direction.

A gear I4 is fixed to the drum I2 and a shaft I6 rotatable in one wall 6 has a pinion I8 fixed thereto which is in mesh with gear I4. A crank 20 fixed on shaft It may be grasped for turning shaft I6 and by means of the intermeshing gears the drum is turned clockwise.

A guide plate 22 between the side walls is provided which has a cylindrical inner surface 24 concentrically related to the axis of rotation of the drum. A plate 26 is fixed to the upper sides of the walls 6 by any suitable means such as screws 28 and said member 22 is secured thereto in any suitable manner.

Circumferential extending transversely spaced rows of spaced forming pins 30 are provided which are arranged so that the pins of one row are staggered relative to those of the other row.

The pins 30 are radially movable in radially disposed bores 32 of the drum I2 and spring 34 therearound urge the pins radially inwardly.

The cam I0 i formed to have an outer surface 36 and depressed portions such as grooves 38 circumferentially disposed.

As the drum I2 is rotated around the cam I0 1 Claim. (Cl. 140105) the groove portions 38-thereo'f are arranged so that the'pins 30 are moved outwardly substantially ontheverticalcenter line of'the axis of rotation of the drum. The pins 30' are held out wardly by the cam surface 36 of the cam I 0 until the drum I2 has been rotated somethinglike ninety degrees or more in a clockwise direction. That is, the cam I0 is formedso that the pins 30 as they arrive at the top center are urged outwardly andremain in-this position whilemoved about ninety degrees clockwise.

The drum I2 is rotated in a step-by-step manner. A pawl 40 is pivoted at 42 to one of the wall 5 and has a free end shaped to fit between the teeth I4 of the gear I4, as in Fig. 1. The

' pawl 40 is urged into engagement with gear I4 by a spring secured to said wall 6.

The pawl 40 is arranged to prevent counterclockwise rotation of the drum I2 but allows clockwise rotation thereof.

The teeth I4 of gear I4 are arranged so that the pawl 40 will position the drum I2 with successive pins 30 extending upwardly in a vertical plane passing through the axis of rotation of the drum. A pin 30 of one row of pins is first moved outwardly and then a pin of the other row is moved outwardly as the drum I2 is rotated stepby-step.

The drum I2 is rotated in step by step manner by turning the crank 20 so that the pawl 40 snaps into one space after another of the gear.

Thus the drum I2 rotates in each step so as to locate first a pin 30 of one row and then a pin of the other row at the upper center and the drum dwells or is releasably held in rest position by the pawl 40 between the step-by-step movements.

A lever 50 is pivoted at 52 for swinging movements back and forth. A plurality of guide rolls 58 are journalled on the lever and an apertured uide 56 is fixed thereto. By grasping the outer end 54 of lever 50 the wire W, which is formed into a spring and which extend between rolls :8 and through guide 56, is bent around the pins Resilient spring-like wire extending through the guide 56 and extending between the rolls 58 of lever 50 is inserted between the drum I2 and guide plate 22 and the lever is swung in a direction to bend the wire around the pin 30 of the drum at the top center. Then the drum is rotated so that a pin of the other row of pins is projected upwardly attop center when the lever is swung in an opposite direction to bend the wire around the last mentioned pin. Thus plane transverse to the longitudinal axis of the spring as in Fig. 4 so as to bring about the bending necessary to form the desired loop.

The step-by-step rotation of the drum IZ and swinging of the lever 50 may be accomplished by mechanism of various forms so that the lever is swung in one direction or the othersubsequent to each movement of the drum.

It is desired that the spring be bowed longitudinally and is accomplished by being wrapped around the drum 1! as it is formed. As the drum rotates, the spring is advanced by those pins 30 which project between the drum and cylindrical surface of the guide plate 22.

The spring is released by the pins which retract at the right lower side of the drum and due to the passage thereof through the apparatus, it has the desired longitudinally bowed form.

What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

Apparatus for forming from spring wire a 1ongitudinal spring having longitudinally spaced transverse portions with successive pairs thereof joined by loops at opposite ends comprising, a support, a continuously rotatable drum rotatable in said support and means to rotate the same, said drum provided with two transversely spaced circumjerentially extending relatively 4 spaced wire forming pins with the pins of one row staggered relative to the pins of the other row, said pins being radially slidable in said drum between extended positions with outer ends thereof projecting from said drum and retracted position with said outer ends below the periphery of said drum, cam means acting on inner ends of said pins arranged to act on and hold said pins in extended position during a certain angle of rotation of said drum and spring means acting on to retract said pins during the remaining angle of rotation of said drum, a member carried by said support having an inner curved face concentrically related to the axis of rotation of the drum slidably receiving the outer ends of pins in extended position, a lever pivoted to said supporton an axis at right angles to the axis of rotation of said drum having a plurality of wire guiding rolls rotatable thereon arranged whereby, wire guided by said rolls may by swinging of said lever be guided successively and a1 ternately to the pins of the rows thereof.

KURTF. SEMISCH. ADELARD J. BEL-ISLE;

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: I

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,047,717 Van Dresser July 14, 1936 2,188,406 Horton Jan. 30, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS 1 Number Country Date 23,260 Great Britain Oct. 20, 1906 

